Container and closure

ABSTRACT

A plastic container has a frusto-conical flange that is movable in response to movement of a lid for the container between a closed position at which said flange is inwardly and downwardly directed relative to walls of the neck of the container and in contact with the lid, and an open position at which a portion of the flange extends upwardly and inwardly relative to the walls of the neck.

States atet H 1 1 3,712,519

Collie y Jan. 23, 19*73 1 CONTAINER AND CLOSURE 3,272,405 9/l966 Todd et al. ..222 541 x Inventor: Stafford D- Come Glen y L 3,184,l17 I 5/1965 Sanderson ..222/l83 [73] Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company Primary Examiner Samuel F. Coleman Filed: June 1970 Assistant Examiner-Norman L. Stack, Jr.

Attorney-Y0ung and Quigg [21] Appl. No.: 49,774

57 ABSTRACT 52 us. Cl. ..222/563, 222/574 A Plastic container has a frusto-conical flange that is 5 1] Int. Cl. .msa 47/60 movable in response mvemem of a lid for the 5 n w f Search 222/546, 562, 541, 133 563, tainer between a closed position at which said flange is 222/574. 220/60. 25/4l. 150/5 inwardly and downwardly directed relative to walls of the neck of the container and in contact with the lid,

[56] References Cited and an open position at which a portion of the flange extends upwardly and inwardly relative to the walls of UNITED STATES PATENTS the neck- 7 3,298,415 1/1967 Klygis ..l50/.5 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures ii f J 2 x a 30 32 16 INVENTOR.

S. D. COLLIE BY 5 0* AT TORNEYS CONTAINER AND CLOSURE It is desired to have a plastic container that is sealable with a snap-on and off lid and which has a pouring spout. This invention, therefore, resides in a plastic container that has a movable frusto-conical flange on the container opening that moves outwardly and forms a pouring spout in response to snapping off a lid of the container and moves inwardly in response to snapping on the lid and seals the container. Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the disclosure, the appended claims, and the drawing.

The drawings are diagrammatic longitudinal sectional views of a portion of the container of this invention and the lid for closing the container.

FIG. 1 shows the container in an open position with the lid removed,

FIG. 2 shows the container in the closed position with the lid snapped in place, and

FIG. 3 shows the container and lid in an intermediate position between theop'en and closed positions.

Referring to FIG. 1, a plastic container 2 has a neck 4, neck wall 6, a neck end 8, and a chamber 10. An inwardly directed frusto-conical flange 12 is formed about the neck end 8 of the container 2, said flange 12 preferably being a plastic integral portion of the container 2. The container flange 12 has an annular edge 14 spaced a distance from the neck end 8 of the container 2. Portions of the container flange 12 are movable between a first or closed position (shown in FIG. 2) at which the entire edge 14 of the container flange I2 is inwardly and downwardly directed relative to the neck walls 6 with the entire edge 14 of the container flange 12 in forcible contact with a shoulder 16 ofa groove 18 of a lid 20 for the container 2 and a second or open position at which a portion of the container flange l2 extends upwardly and inwardly relative to the neck walls 6.

The lid 20 has a downwardly extending lid flange 22 which encompasses in contacting relationship at least a portion of the neck walls 6 about the outer circumference of the container'neck'4. The lid 20 has a cenpensive to form, it is preferred that the lid be formed of plastic or paperboard.

Examples of plastic that are suitable for forming the container and lid of this invention are as follows: polypropylene and copolymers of propylene, polyethylene and copolymers of ethylene and butylene, polystyrene and polystyrene containing polymers, po'lyamide, and vinyl polymers and copolymers.

FIG. 3 shows the flange 12 of the container 2 and the lid 20 at an intermediate position between the closed and open positions of the flange 12. In the opening operation, an end 32 of the lid flange 22 or the pull-tab 30 of the flange 22 is grasped and the adjacent side of the lid 20 is moved upwardly relative to the container 2. This upward movement causes a portion of the shoulder 16 to exert an upward force on a portion of the edge 14 of the container flange 12. Further upward movement causes the lid 20 to be removed and a portion of the container flange 12 to move to its spoutforming open position with other portions of the flange remaining in an inwardly and downwardly directed position. In the closing of the container, the groove 18 of the lid 20 receives the edge portion of the downwardly directed portion of the flange 12 after which the opposed portions of the lid are urged downwardly. The downward movement of the lid causes the upwardly directed portions of the container flange 12 to snap to a downwardly directed closed position at which the entire edge 14 of the container flange 12 is within the groove 18, thereby sealing the container with the entire edge 14 of the container to forcibly contacting the shoulder 16.

Other modifications and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing discussion and accompanying drawing, and it should be understood that this invention is not to be unduly limited thereto.

What is claimed is:

I. In combination with a plastic container having a neck, upwardly extending neck walls, and a neck end tral portion 24 that is integral with a lid flange and extends 'over the opening of the container 2. This central portion 24 has an annular,'inwardly extending groove 18 formed with a shoulder 16. The shoulder 16 has a diameter greater than the distance between the edge portions 14 of the container flange 12 in the first position of said flange 12 and the groove 18 has dimensions sufficient for receiving the edge 14 of the frustoconica flange 12. v

Some plastic types that are suitable for forming the container of this invention and some container flange 12 dimensions form a flange 12 that is stiff and required a relatively large force to move the flange between the open and closed positions. The force required to manipulate the flange can be reduced by forming an annular groove 28 on the flange 12 at the juncture of the flange l2 and the neck end 8 of the container 2.

For more easily'removing the lid 20 from the container 2, it is preferred that an outwardly extending pull-tab 30 be formed on an end 32 of the lid flange 22. For better sealing of the container and stabilization of the lid 20, it is also preferred that the lid flange 22 have a width of at least one-half the width of frusto-conical flange 12. In order to provide a lid that is easy and inexopening into a chamber of the container, comprising:

an inwardly directed frusto-conical flange having an .edge and being integral with the neck end of the container and extending inwardly therefrom, said flange containing an annular groove in the conical section near the outer juncture of the conical flange and the neck end of the container and said flange beingof a dimension relative to the dimension of the neck end opening sufficient formoving a first portion of said flange between a closed position at which the entire flange is inwardly and downwardly directed relative to the walls of the neck with the entire edge of the flange in forcible contact with a shoulder of a slot of a hereafter lid and an open position at which only said first portion of the flange extends upwardly and inwardly relative to the walls of the neck forming a pouring spout in relation to the remaining portions of the flange which extend inwardly an'd downwardly relative to said walls, and

a lid having a lid flange of dimensions sufficient to encompass in contacting relationship at least a portion of the walls of the neck about the outer circumference of said neck in the installed position on the container and a central portion integral with the lid flange, said central portion having an including a pull-tab formed on an end of the flange of annular, inwardly extending groove having an anthe lid and extending outwardly therefrom. nula hould r with aid h uld ha g a diame- 3. The combination, as set forth in claim 1, wherein ter greater than the distance between edge porthelidis f d f l i tions of the flange in the open position of the 5 frusto-conical flange and said groove having dimensions sufficient for receiving the edge of the frusto-conical flange in forcible engagement therewith in the installed position on the container. l0 2. The combination, as set forth in claim 1, further 4. The combination, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lid is formed of paperboard.

5. The combination, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lid flange has a width of at least one-half the width of the frusto-conical container flange. 

1. In combination with a plastic container having a neck, upwardly extending neck walls, and a neck end opening into a chamber of the container, comprising: an inwardly directed frusto-conical flange having an edge and being integral with the neck end of the container and extending inwardly therefrom, said flange containing an annular groove in the conical section near the outer juncture of the conical flange and the neck end of the container and said flange being of a dimension relative to the dimension of the neck end opening sufficient for moving a first portion of said flange between a closed position at which the entire flange is inwardly and downwardly directed relative to the walls of the neck with the entire edge of the flange in forcible contact with a shoulder of a slot of a hereafter lid and an open position at which only said first portion of the flange extends upwardly and inwardly relative to the walls of the neck forming a pouring spout in relation to the remaining portions of the flange which extend inwardly and downwardly relative to said walls, and a lid having a lid flange of dimensions sufficient to encompass in contacting relationship at least a portion of the walls of the neck about the outer circumference of said neck in the installed position on the container and a central portion integral with the lid flange, said central portion having an annular, inwardly extending groove having an annular shoulder with said shoulder having a diameter greater than the distance between edge portions of the flange in the open position of the frusto-conical flange and said groove having dimensions sufficient for receiving the edge of the frusto-conical flange in forcible engagement therewith in the installed position on the container.
 2. The combination, as set forth in claim 1, further including a pull-tab formed on an end of the flange of the lid and extending outwardly therefrom.
 3. The combination, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lid is formed of plastic.
 4. The combination, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lid is formed of paperboard.
 5. The combination, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lid flange has a width of at least one-half the width of the frusto-conical container flange. 